Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Indian cricket team to reconsider their decision to cancel the warm-up game against India A ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Australia. Gavaskar emphasized the importance of these practice matches, especially for the younger players who have never played in Australia before.
Importance of Warm-Up Games
Gavaskar highlighted that warm-up games are crucial for helping players acclimatize to the conditions in Australia, particularly the pace and bounce of the pitches. He suggested that even facing an Australia A team or a stateside like Queensland would be beneficial for the junior players.
Team’s Decision
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had initially scheduled a three-day intra-squad game against India A at the WACA stadium in Perth. However, this fixture was scrapped, and the team opted for a centre-wicket match simulation session instead. Indian captain Rohit Sharma explained that this decision was made to allow both batters and bowlers to spend more time in the middle.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Advice
Gavaskar advised the younger players, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel, to make use of throwdowns and face quicker bowlers in the nets to get used to the Australian conditions. He stressed the importance of practice and self-belief for the players.
“I really do believe that they should have a warm-up game. In the gaps between Test matches, they really should have warm-up games. Not necessarily for the senior players. But for the junior players who have never played in Australia before. For the Yashasvi Jaiswals, the Sarfaraz Khans, the Dhruv Jurels, all these young batters. Even against an Australia A team or a state side like Queensland. Juniors must be given the opportunity to get used to the bounce and pitches in Australia,” Gavaskar said.
BGT 2024-25: Sunil Gavaskar advocates warm-Up game to boost India’s readiness in down under series#BGT2024_25 #BorderGavaskarTrophy2024_25 #AUSvsIND #TeamIndia #SunilGavaskar
For more details 👇https://t.co/4mN8qSzOSe pic.twitter.com/b3LoZpqWoN
— XtraTime (@xtratimeindia) November 4, 2024
While the team management believes that the match simulation will be sufficient preparation, Gavaskar’s concerns highlight the potential benefits of playing a proper warm-up game. The debate over the best preparation method continues as India prepares for the high-stakes Test series.
Also Read: Can India Still Reach the WTC Final After New Zealand Whitewash?
